Fantasy Football: Rookie Power Rankings (Week 5)
Welcome to Week 5! It’s time for the thing that causes fantasy owners anguish and pain, the dreaded bye weeks. When you add that to games being postponed due to COVID and the absolutely massive amount of injuries, it’s enough to make any fantasy owner want to rage quit. Fear not! I have brought good news in the form of this week’s rookie rankings, as you shall see what 1st-year players can help you get over those bye week blues. Let’s see what’s in store for Week 5.
1. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals Last Week: 4
Joe Burrow threw for 300 yards and a touchdown on 25-for-36 passing during the win over the Jaguars in Week 4. Burrow remained hot on Sunday, racking up his third 300-yard performance of the season. Burrow has shown that he has a firm grasp of the offense and should be a solid QB2 going forward for the rest of the year.
2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs Last Week: 2
Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed 16 times for 64 yards and picked up 27 yards on three catches in Week 4 versus the New England Patriots. CEH and shown a nice blend of both power and speed, and brings a true three-down back to the KC offense. He is only going to get better a the season progresses, and is in a perfect spot to obtain elite fantasy numbers.
3. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys Last Week: 6
Lamb caught five passes for 79 yards and 2 scores in a week 4 barnburner loss to the Browns. He was targeted seven times in the passing game, and also added a rush for three yards. He appears to be ascending the depth chart and has clearly taken the #2 job away from Michael Gallup. He will be in prime position to return a nice WR3 floor for the rest of the year, with huge upside.
4. Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers Last Week: 8
Herbert was 20-for-25 for 290 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed five times for 14 yards in the loss to the Bucs. What is becoming readily apparent is that Herbert is the real deal, and it would be crazy to go back to Tyrod Taylor once he is healthy. The game experience will help Herbert take that next step to the elite level.
5. Jonathon Taylor, RB, Colts Last Week: 3
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Jonathan Taylor rushed for 68 yards on 17 attempts and caught one pass for 11 yards in a Week 4 win against the Bears. Taylor split carries this week with fellow running backs Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines. The loss of three down work is rather concerning, as it is clear that Taylor is the most talented of the bunch. The situation is worth monitoring moving forward.
6. James Robinson, RB, Jaguars Last Week: 1
James Robinson received 17 carries for 75 yards in their Week 4 loss to the Bengals. He also caught four passes for 32 yards. He has obtained the true three-down back status that is coveted by fantasy players. The problem now comes down to efficiency. If he can continue pumping out quality fantasy weeks, he will be a league winner. If you have Mike Davis, maybe swing a trade for Robinson if you can.
7. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings Last Week: 7
Justin Jefferson caught four passes for 103 yards in the Vikings 31-23 win over the Texans. The rookie backed up his 173-yard effort last week with another dynamic performance. It seems that he is firmly in control of the #2 job in Minny, and it seems to be only a matter of time until he attains WR1 status.
8. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Last Week: Unranked
Gibson led the backfield in carries for the third week in a row and racked up 46 rushing yards on 13 attempts while chipping in a rushing TD. Gibson also proved to be dynamic in the passing games, catching 4 balls for 82 yards. If he can be consistent with those kinds of numbers, he could be looking at the next rookie sensation and possible league winner at RB.
9. Laviska Shenault Jr, WR, Jaguars Last Week: 5
Shenault was second on the team in targets, catching five-of-six for 86 yards. He also added a five-yard carry. LSJ has been rather consistent in the last couple of weeks, and he has seemed to have taken over the #2 WR duties from Keenan Cole. The Jaguars should continue to use him in the offensive weapon role, which will pay dividends for your team.
10. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos Last Week: 9
Jerry Jeudy caught two of his four targets for 61 yards and his first career touchdown in the Week 4 win over the Jets on Thursday night. His TD was an absolute Mossing of CB Pierre Desir, and it shows yet another skill that will make him a future WR1. As long as Courtland Sutton is out, Jeudy will continue to be the target share leader in Denver.
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